With a strong rejection of the immigration raids and what they called a “fascist dictatorship,” U.S. citizens living in Baja California joined the global “No Kings” protests against U.S. President Donald Trump.
The protesters gathered this Saturday, October 18, at Revolución Park in the municipality of Ensenada, where they displayed signs with various messages such as: “No tyrants in the USA,” “The Mad King,” “ICE! No Good!” and “No ICE Raids.”
“He (Trump) thinks he’s a king, and he’s not. We say ‘No kings’ and we fight against the fascism that is happening in the United States. We are Americans in Baja California, and we are protesting to raise support for Trump’s ouster,” Fred Martell told Zona Norte Noticias.
The man, a retiree from Los Angeles who has lived in Rosarito Beach for three decades and has been in Ensenada for five years, also criticized ICE’s actions, as Trump initially said it was supposedly to deport “bad people” and that “they were in gangs.”
“But that’s not what’s happening: there are people who have been working in the United States for 20 and 30 years, have businesses, families, and children who are Americans. The way they do it is fascist, because they cover their faces, they don’t have any identification, and they’re treating people as if they were robbing someone,” he said.
Joan Lucci, one of the rally’s promoters, remarked: “Donald Trump is a dictator.”
“His regime is authoritarian. We feel very fortunate to be in Mexico, where freedom of expression is not an issue. Mexico is a democracy; that’s not the case in the United States. And Donald Trump is working hard, like a dictator, to make people fearful and intimidated, but these people are not intimidated,” she commented.
The protester expressed confidence that “democracy will return,” also noting that they are “saddened” by everything ICE is doing.
“It’s a disgrace to human rights. It’s terrible. Donald Trump promised he would deport people who violate the law, but he is indiscriminate: he deports whoever he can and targets groups of people. We know they are returning many Mexicans, and it’s shameful and sad. It can’t happen in a democracy,” said Joan, who has lived in the region for six years.
Omar, a physicist and environmental scientist who has lived in Baja California for 16 years, emphasized the “fight” to oust Donald Trump.
“This man is a fascist, a racist; he’s not a capitalist or a socialist. He’s taking people’s money. He attacks Canada, Mexico, the working class, immigrants, the healthcare system, education, and science. He’s the worst president in the history of the United States,” he said.
The rally followed a call from the Baja California Chapter of Democrats Abroad, the official branch of the Democratic Party in the United States.
In this context, the last protest against Trump on Baja California soil was on June 14, 2024, on the occasion of the so-called “No Kings Day,” in Ensenada, and on April 19, 2025, in Rosarito Beach.
Source: proceso
